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Much has been written about the Jews of Yemen, its ancient original traditions, which date back to period of the second temple in Jerusalem. But the visual documentation is lacking, especially of the great immigration to Israel, after the establishment of Israel.
Knowledge of the culture and history of each Jewish community, regardless of its size, is necessary, if we wish to see, to learn the whole spectrum of Jewish experience. The photographer, Zion Ozeri, a son to a family which immigrated to Israel as it was being established, went exploring his own roots/past, looking for disappearing unique aspects of Judaism, and customs. The second generation, and the ones coming after, grew and became part of the Israeli society, and so have discarded, most of the customs, traditions and their parents’ mindset. This exhibition looks with Love upon the heritage of the Jews of Yemen, and in many aspects, documents the last generation of a bygone era.
Born in Israel to immigrants from Yemen and currently living in New York City, Zion Ozeri is one of the world’s leading photographers exploring the Jewish experience. Raised in Israel during a period of mass immigration, he interacted with many diverse cultures. This unique background gives him a cross-cultural perspective that suffuses his work. Ozeri graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, both in New York City. His photographs have appeared in many national publications and have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. Ozeri has published several books, including The Jewish World Family Haggadah (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005) and a coffee table book titled The Jews of Yemen: The Last Generation (Jerusalem: Keter, 2005). He won a Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism in 2004 and is the recipient of the Covenant Award for 2013. Ozeri founded the Jewish Lens curriculum and project in 2004, now being offered through Beit Hatfutsot Museum in Israel. In addition, Ozeri founded and is the creative director of the early childhood project Within the Image, as well as DiverCity Lens, a curriculum and program implemented since 2010 in New York City public schools through the New York City Department of Education.
